- Truly unspoilt wilderness locations
- Spend a night in a bear hide
- All equipment included
For the past 65 years Paanajarvi National Park on the Russo/Finnish border has been completely untouched by humans, resulting in a flourishing ecosystem of bears, wolves, wolverines, cervidae and a mass of birdlife.
Delve deep into Europe's last great wilderness in search of its spectacular inhabitants; camping in the Taiga, sailing across lakes and observing from bear hides.
Countries visited: Finland, Russia
Day 1
Fly to Kuusamo, transfer to Basecamp Oulanka (approx 45 mins).
Day 2
Transfer to Russian border and on to Paanajarvi National Park. There is time to visit the Kivakkakoski Rapids and then a short boat trip to our camp west of Lake Paanajarvi.
Day 3
Boat trip across Lake Paanajarvi to view the wildlife along its banks. During the day there will be a short walk to Mantykoski waterfall and on the way back to the camp there will be a 1.5 hour walk through the surrounding Taiga forest.
Day 4
After breakfast we leave our camp and head to Paajarvi where we take a short boat trip back to the road. From here we transfer back into Finland and return to Basecamp Oulanka in the evening.
Day 5
A slow start today to recover from 3 days in the wilderness. In the afternoon we transfer back towards the Russian border to the bear hide where we will spend the night observing the bears.
Day 6
Return to Basecamp Oulanka. There is the option of a number of walks including the renown Little Bear's Trail, a chance to tackle Basecamp's climbing wall and another possibility to visit the Bear Hide.
Day 7
Head down the Kitka river in raftes to take part in 'citizen science'. Whilst observing the flora and fauna you will also be directly contributing to collecting data for scientific research.
Day 8
Today there is the option to try white water rafting. Alternatively you can also visit the large carnivore centre near Kuusamo that cares for bears, wolves, wolverines and lynxes.
Day 9
Transfer from Basecamp Oulanka, fly to London.
Want to see more?
Trip Notes contain all the detailed information you need. A full day by day itinerary, accommodation details, guides and other practical information. Download Now
Images from BEARS ABOVE THE CIRCLE
Note: Click on a thumbnail to enlarge.
Family meeting, Paanajarvi National Park, Russia (photo by Tuomo Pirttimaa)
Login above to retrieve a previously saved list or 
Click on 'Add to wishlist' to pin trips here.
